Martin Wild looks back on the season for ShrewsWeb

Question: What do you get if your football team comes within 90 minutes of promotion in May, and then moves to a spanking new £15 million stadium before the new season kicks off three months later? Answer: Raised expectation levels of course. Throw into that, a quote from your manager that he's assembled the best bunch of players he's ever worked with, and look at highly creditable pre-season performances against Manchester City, Coventry City and Port Vale, and it's easy to see why everyone had such high hopes that this could be the year, to see Shrewsbury Town's league status elevated to League One.

New signings Glyn Garner, Marc Pugh, Darren Moss, Dave Hibbert, David Hunt, Colin Murdock and Darran Kempson whetted the appetite still further, and ShrewsWeb will be taking the fans back on an emotional roller coaster as we review the season from start to finish.

August

An opening day good hiding handed out to Lincoln City at Sincil Bank, would have had most Town fans happy to draw the season to its conclusion by the second week in August. Four second-half goals including a brace for play-off semi-final hero Andy Cooke, put Town at the league's summit and an extra-time Carling Cup win over Championship outfit Colchester three days later, set up the first ever league game at the New Meadow very nicely indeed. Ryan Esson crucially saved a penalty to set up a date with Fulham in the next round. There was a flip-side to the cup victory though: Cooke was ruled out until December with a bad hamstring injury.

on target at lincoln

Stuart McCall's Bradford City side were tipped as most people's favourites for promotion following relegation the previous campaign. Almost six and a half thousand were attracted to the new ground and Dave Hibbert's penalty was enough to preserve the 100% start. Six goals scored and none conceded made for pretty impressive reading, but Salop were brought back down a peg or two, when three second-half goals were shipped at stadium:MK, where the Dons gained some revenge for that semi-final defeat, which saw Town book their trip to Wembley.

Lawrie Sanchez brought his Premier League Fulham side to Shropshire on the Tuesday evening for the second round of the Carling Cup, and a single goal from £6 million capture Diomansy Kamara, was enough to seal a narrow victory for the Londoners.  

darran kempson scores against colchester